Fiction Writing London

Write Together Social (Holborn)

**Write together with other writers. If you write more surrounded by others, I hope you'll join these new sessions.** Starting up regular Saturday sessions where we writers will gather to write in the same space. There will be plenty of time for you to push forward your own individual projects, but I can provide a writing prompt, short exercise or challenge to anyone who needs them. You can book a spot for a guest with your ticket if you want to bring a writing friend with you. They don't have to be a member of our group. Timing: From **12:30** grab a drink, a table and set up **12:35** individual writing time\* *\*if you'd like a prompt or writing exercise, please ask when you arrive.* **13:15** take a breath (stand up, stretch, look out window, tea, wine etc) **14:00** end of writing time **14:00** we'll gather at the same table to say hello, compare notes and how we got on with our projects in the session **15:00(ish)** end of session I'm hosting this in the main public area of the pub so you can come and go as you please. You can come to write for a short time or the whole thing. I've allowed two hours for the session but you can easily stay on longer if you wish. I will be there for 12pm when the pub opens to grab us the horseshoe of tables (pictured above) so most of us can be sitting in the same vicinity together. That said, it's a spacious pub so if you want to spread out and choose your own spot, feel free. Manners suggest that you'll buy a drink and perhaps a snack or two from the pub as a part of using their table. Please don't bring your own drinks from elsewhere (water bottles included) as the pub will never let us back in. See their menu on the website for more info. Location: The Square Pig, 30-32 Procter St, London WC1V 6NX. Closest tube is Holborn. Timing: Doors open 12pm for a 12:30pm start and we'll finish the main session by 3pm at the latest. Cost: £10 for hosting, venue arrangement, writing task prep etc. Please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Refunds or credits will only be offered if the meetup is cancelled by admin. If you change your mind after booking, please change to RSVP to 'not going' as we often have people waiting. Download the Meetup app (check the app store) to manage your RSVPs on the go and be notified about new workshops. Questions or concerns? Please post a comment below and I'll respond. I'm looking forward to it already!

Evening critiquing session

Write-in at the Mitre: work on your own material in convivial company

**We will be at The Mitre pub in central Greenwich.** This meetup is free and casual. We just sit around for a few hours and write together. Bring a laptop, or use a pen and paper or clay tablet and stylus if that's what works for you. The structure of the session is roughly: 2pm: chat 2:20–3:25: writing time 3:25: chat/coffee break 3:40–4:45 writing time 4:45: chat But our Saturdays are very casual, so feel free to drop in and out. **This is usually in the meeting room at the Mitre. If you arrive a bit later, you may need to ask the bar staff to show you through to the room.**

Hackney Indie Press Fair

The Alternative Book Fair brings 30 of leading independent publishers to Newington Green, Hackney, to celebrate independent publishing. This October, the Alternative Book Fair comes to Meeting House on Newington Green for a special one-day Independent Publisher and Small Press Fair celebrating the very best in independent publishing. Run by Indie Novella and the Indie Press Network with support from Arts Council England, the Fair will bring together around 30 independent publishers, giving readers, aspiring authors and emerging writers the chance to discover award-winning fiction, poetry and non-fiction, meet the people behind the books, and explore some of the most exciting writing being published today. Following the same ethos as the [Alternative Book Fair, the Hackney Indie Press Fair](https://www.alternativebookfairlondon.co.uk/ "https://www.alternativebookfairlondon.co.uk/") is about opening up publishing and literature to a wider audience. Visitors will be able to meet publishers of Booker Prize, Observer Best Debut Novelists and Women’s Prize-listed authors, browse new and innovative books, and hear directly from leading independent publishers about how publishing works. The day will also include a publishing panel with independent publishers, offering practical insight into the publishing process and the chance to ask questions. Whether you are a reader, writer, publisher or someone who simply loves books, this free October fair is a chance to connect with independent publishing in a welcoming community space. All events are free thanks to Indie Novella, Arts Council England and our partners. No booking is required for the Independent Publisher Fair. Please book separately for individual panels where indicated.

Write-in at the Mitre: work on your own material in convivial company

**We will be at The Mitre pub in central Greenwich.** This meetup is free and casual. We just sit around for a few hours and write together. Bring a laptop, or use a pen and paper or clay tablet and stylus if that's what works for you. The structure of the session is roughly: 2pm: chat 2:20–3:25: writing time 3:25: chat/coffee break 3:40–4:45 writing time 4:45: chat But our Saturdays are very casual, so feel free to drop in and out. **This is usually in the meeting room at the Mitre. If you arrive a bit later, you may need to ask the bar staff to show you through to the room.**

Blaze (In Person MeetUp)

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW VENUE & TIME CHANGE! The meeting will probably last about 2 hours including drinks breaks (the venue closes at 9pm). Please look out for any great second hand versions, there are a load of great covers out there - do post them on here and/or bring them along to the meeting! We will be meeting in the big Pret opposite the Royal Court of Justice (217 Strand). Please do not bring in your own food or drink from outside as they'll kick us out! The second session on Thursday will be on Zoom so if you are not able to attend in person in London then please RSVP to the second session. Book Blurb follows: A fellow named Richard Bachman wrote Blaze in 1973 on an Olivetti typewriter, then turned the machine over to Stephen King, who used it to write Carrie. Bachman died in 1985 ("cancer of the pseudonym"), but in late 2006 King found the original typescript of Blaze among his papers at the University of Maine's Fogler Library ("How did this get here?!"), and decided that with a little revision it ought to be published. Blaze is the story of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr. --of the crimes committed against him and the crimes he commits, including his last, the kidnapping of a baby heir worth millions. Blaze has been a slow thinker since childhood, when his father threw him down the stairs--and then threw him down again. After escaping an abusive institution for boys when he was a teenager, Blaze hooks up with George, a seasoned criminal who thinks he has all the answers. But then George is killed, and Blaze, though haunted by his partner, is on his own.

The Writers Corner

Join our group for under-represented writers who want more time to write, feedback on their work, and tips on developing their craft. \*\* Please come to the Reading Room on the 2nd floor at The Wellcome Collection and look out for the Writer's Corner sign \*\* The Writers' Corner is a peer support community for under-represented writers, with bi-monthly meet-ups both online and in-person. Join us if you want more time and space to write, get feedback on your work or to develop your craft. We welcome all writers who tend to get overlooked by the publishing industry, or struggle to afford the costs of other writing courses and groups. We'll let you self define, but we particularly welcome writers of colour, those from the LGBTQ+ community, disabled writers, unpaid carers, low income writers and anyone who self-defines as a woman. While we have done our best to pick venues that are accessible to all, if you have any specific accesss requirements please send us a message so we can discuss how we can meet your needs. That includes anyone feeling anxious about attending a group for the first time (very happy for you to come a bit early, before everyone else, if that helps). The session will work as follows: 1\. Introductions 2\. Warm up exercise 3\. Writing time \(work on your own project or get a prompt\) 4\. Feedback 5\. Set writing goals for the next month

The Writers Corner

Join our group for under-represented writers who want more time to write, feedback on their work, and tips on developing their craft. \*\* Please come to the Reading Room on the 2nd floor at The Wellcome Collection and look out for the Writer's Corner sign \*\* The Writers' Corner is a peer support community for under-represented writers, with bi-monthly meet-ups both online and in-person. Join us if you want more time and space to write, get feedback on your work or to develop your craft. We welcome all writers who tend to get overlooked by the publishing industry, or struggle to afford the costs of other writing courses and groups. We'll let you self define, but we particularly welcome writers of colour, those from the LGBTQ+ community, disabled writers, unpaid carers, low income writers and anyone who self-defines as a woman. While we have done our best to pick venues that are accessible to all, if you have any specific accesss requirements please send us a message so we can discuss how we can meet your needs. That includes anyone feeling anxious about attending a group for the first time (very happy for you to come a bit early, before everyone else, if that helps). The session will work as follows: 1\. Introductions 2\. Warm up exercise 3\. Writing time \(work on your own project or get a prompt\) 4\. Feedback 5\. Set writing goals for the next month

30-Day Writing Challenge (*PLEASE READ CAREFULLY, RE: DATES)

**[FOR ACCESS TO OTHER "TIERS", BOOK DIRECTLY VIA OUR WEBSITE HERE: https://www.writeandpint.com/events/30-day-writing-challenge-2026** ... **30-Day Writing Challenge 2026** *Hosted by A Write & a Pint* Do you miss NaNoWriMo? We do too! 💭 This is our second year hosting A Write & a Pint’s 30-Day Writing Challenge, an exciting alternative to NaNoWriMo but in the same tradition! Last year, we had just over 30 people join us to make progress on their writing. This year, well, we're ready for however many want to be part of the challenge! If you’d like to join us throughout November 🍂, you’ll build momentum on your writing project in community with others 🤝. We’ll have live weekly online workshops 💻, workshop recordings 🎥, online accountability 📲, and social events 🎉 with other writers to help hone your skills and focus on your writing. ### **Who is this for?** 🤔 If you’re a writer or would-be writer working on a book of prose, poetry, or just any writing project, this is for you! It might be fiction ✨, memoir 📝, biography 👤, autofiction 🔄, autoethnography 🌍, a collection of short stories or poems 📚, or anything in between. You just need something to work on that you want to make tangible progress on over 30 days 📆, with support and in community 🌟. ### **What is the challenge?** 🎯 The challenge – if you choose to accept it – is just like NaNoWriMo, and to write a full, 50,000+ word manuscript 🖊️ in 30 days (wild, we know! 😅). And for anybody who makes it to **at least 10,000 words**, we invite you to submit your favourite 500-word excerpt ✨ to our competition. The author of our favourite piece will win a **Penguin Mini Classics Box Set** 🎁 🐧 (RRP £100). *Note: organisers Sean and Shimrit + 2 × guest judges will be reading each piece and whittling them down to a short list before choosing a winner.* That said, if you just want to join to be able to make meaningful progress on your writing in community, without needing to track wordcount, you are still very much welcome to join us! This is for anyone who wants to spend November committed to their writing, alongside others doing the same, and with support.  ### **How it works** ⚙️ Through November, you’ll join **8 live, online sessions** (1.5 hours each, twice a week) 🗓️. In the first half hour, we’ll work through practical exercises to hone your writing skills. We’ll then have an hour of shared, quiet writing time, where you can actively focus on your work. The sessions will cover topics such as **arc, plot, style, tone, character, dialogue, pace, and perspective** 🎭, and give you practical techniques and inspiration you can put to work straight away. Depending on the tier you sign up for, you might also participate in: * An all-day kick-off workshop at a London location 🍵 🥐 (with brunch + tea/coffee included) * An online midway-point check-in 💬 * A final “Read & Pint” social at a London location 🍷 📖 (with a drink included) * A 1.5-hour, one-to-one coaching session 🎓 to dive deeper into your writing * Editorial feedback on up to 1,500 words ✍️ 📝 You’ll also have the option of joining a dedicated **WhatsApp group** of fellow writers who are participating in the challenge 📲, for daily inspiration and accountability. Once you’re part of the WhatsApp community, there may also be people who want to commit to additional shared quiet writing time, or to self-organise writing meet-ups with others. The adventure is yours to craft! 🌟 ### **Total Value at a Glance 📌** * **12 hours** of live online workshops and focused writing time (All Tiers) * **Midway online “check-in”** gathering, to share challenges and progress (All Tiers) * **Designed journal** to accompany you through the month, including word tracker, worksheets, and daily pages (All Tiers) * **Facilitated WhatsApp group**, for daily support (All Tiers) * **1 full-day** in-person kick-off workshop in London, including brunch and a drink (Tiers 2 and 3) * **Final “Read & Pint”** in-person social with a drink, in London (Tiers 2 and 3) * **1.5-hour 1:1 coaching session** + feedback on up to 1,500 words (Tier 3) All participants will also be given a \*\*50% discount code to join our [Wake Up, Write membership ](https://www.writeandpint.com/pricing-plans/list)\*\*for the month, giving you access to our Morning Sessions up to three times a week, as an additional quite space to focus on your writing (All Tiers) ### **Pricing & Tiers** 💷 **Tier 1 – Weekly Online Workshops (£85)** * 8 x 1.5-hour live online sessions (twice a week) led by our facilitators, including skill-building exercises and focused writing time * Mid-point online check-in: gather with others and our facilitators to share and work through your challenges, progress, and successes so far * Dedicated journal to accompany you through the month * Accountability and community with fellow book writers * Membership of the WhatsApp group **Tier 2 – Weekly Workshops + Kick-Off and Finale (£130)** Everything in Tier 1, plus: * Kick-off (London venue): an all-day, in-person deep-dive to launch your month with momentum. Includes tea/coffee and brunch. * Final “Read & Pint” (London venue): a celebratory day of reflection, connection, and (if you’d like) the opportunity to share your words. Includes a drink of your choice (beer, wine, or soft) 🍻 **Tier 3 – Weekly Workshops, Kick-Off, and Finale, + Coaching (£205)** Everything in Tiers 1 and 2, plus: * **1.5-hour one-to-one creativity coaching** with Sean 🎓 * **Editorial feedback** on up to 1,500 words of your project ✍️ ### **Why is there a fee?** 💡 While NaNoWriMo was largely self-led, this challenge is built around **live, expertly designed workshops**, and (if you choose) a **day-long, in-person kick-off** (with food and drink included), a **community celebration**, and **personal coaching with editorial feedback**. So, unlike the self-governed NaNoWriMo, you’re investing in **teaching, handouts, structure, feedback, a month-long stable community, and peer support** that will help you move forward with your book. ### **Which tier is right for me? 🧭** * **Tier 1** – Best value if you simply want structured weekly workshops with focused writing time, and accountability. * **Tier 2** – Best value if you want the full community experience with the London kick-off and finale. * **Tier 3** – Great value if you want deeper, more personalised coaching from a professional editor (Sean) with hands-on feedback and lots of clarity around the direction you're taking. ### **Dates for your diary** 🗓️ **All tiers (online):** * **Saturday 1st November:** The challenge begins! * **Tuesday 3rd:** Workshop 1, on Arc * **Thursday 5th:** Workshop 2 on Plot * **Tuesday 10th:** Workshop 3 on Style * **Thursday 12th:** Workshop 4 on Tone * **Saturday 14th (2pm to 3:30pm):** Midpoint check-in circle * **Tuesday 17th November:** Workshop 5 on Character * **Thursday 19th November:** Workshop 6 on Dialogue * **Tuesday 24th November:** Workshop 7 on Pace * **Thursday 26th November:** Workshop 8 on Perspective * **Tuesday 1st December:** The challenge ends! Celebrate the month just passed together in our WhatsApp group, the milestone reached, and share your ongoing plans ✅ *All weekly workshops are from 6:30 to 8pm (UK), with themes subject to change. Each weekly workshop includes up to an hour of focused quiet writing time.* **Tiers 2 and 3:** * **Saturday 24th October, 11:00 am–5:00 pm (London venue):** Kick-off all-day workshop, to help you prepare for the challenge starting 🍵 🥐 * **Saturday 5th December, 11:00am to 5:00 pm (London venue):** A celebratory “Read & Pint” social to reflect, connect, plan forward, and (if you’d like) share your writing 🎉*Note: This final in-person session is where we will announce our competition winner and award the prize, a full box set of Penguin Mini Classics (and don’t worry, no speech required unless you want to!).* 🐧 🎁 **Tier 3:** * Your **1.5-hour one-to-one coaching session** can be booked with Sean at any point during November. You’re welcome to share up to **1,500 words** for editorial consideration and feedback ✍️ ### **Meet your hosts! 👋** **About Sean:** Sean is the founder of A Write & a Pint and is a huge fan of fiction, screenwriting, poetry, memoir, and all manner of other literary forms. He works occasionally as a copywriter for Oxford University Press and a copy editor for ETH Zurich in Switzerland. Over the years, he’s studied with Curtis Brown, Scriptwriters & Co., and MetFilm, and regularly coaches novelists, poets, screenwriters, and memoirists. Sean’s favourite genres are modern, postmodern, existential, and literary fiction – but he’s a big fan of everything from sci-fi and fantasy to thriller and comedy as well. 👨‍🏫 **About Shimrit:** Shimrit is a writer, poet, facilitator and researcher, and member of the A Write & a Pint team, co-hosting Wake Up, Write and writing retreats with Sean. She is co-author of *Nature of Work: The new story of work for a living age* (2021), which blends storytelling and research to explore what we can learn from nature to create healthier working environments. Since then, she’s taken her love of literature, poetry, and nature deeper into her own creative practice, and is currently working on a verse novel exploring what it means to remember ourselves as of nature. **Ready to commit a month to writing?** **🚀** Pick your tier and join us for **The A Write & a Pint 30-Day Writing Challenge**! 🎉 **Testimonials from the 30-Day Writing Challenge 2025** *"I loved participating in this 30 day writing challenge. I discovered so many unexpected and lovely things about how I like to write and what I would like to explore. I loved the learning aspect of the sessions as well as time to experiment and write together. All in all a wonderful experience, thank you!”* *"I’ve really enjoyed the 30 days challenge. It’s been incredibly nice to meet different people and listen to their brilliant ideas, including what they might be working on. I especially liked the varying workshops, which were delivered twice weekly – nothing like an extra arrow in one’s quiver. One of the main benefits for me, I felt, was that it almost forced me to make time to write so I’d have something to share with all. I would certainly recommend anyone to join the challenge, as its open to all people, no matter what standard you are. Sean and Shimrit are excellent and easy going hosts, who love what they do.”* *"Thank you for bringing me into this lovely, supportive community of writers brought together by the fantastic Sean and Shimrit. My creativity has been nurtured and my thinking stimulated - taking part in this challenge has genuinely accelerated and levelled up my writing and I’m so excited to see where I go with it next!”* *“The month nourished my creativity and was super helpful to get me writing again. We had lovely sessions (I took part online and in person) and I am already missing the community and gentle encouraging support to keep going!”* *“I've really loved this challenge and can't thank you both enough for reaching out and encouraging me to take the plunge on things. Even though I wasn't able to be as involved with sessions or the group because of my work (I could have done so much more writing); I've really benefited from having the group education, support and community. I've been going through a really hard time recently, I was even feeling dejected by writing which has always been my safe space. This challenge and community has helped me regain my confidence tenfold and has really encouraged me to keep doing what I love. The relaxed and down to earth nature of how you have run the challenge has been a breath of fresh air. I've been put off so many times by high costs and pretentiousness making me lesser because of being from a working class background. W&P has changed that for me and I am incredibly grateful.”* *“It was an amazing experience and would love to do it again.”* *“The W&P community is a precious pearl, holding in care so many diverse writers and creative thinkers. Sean and Shimrit gently, kindly inspire and support all of us to do the same for one another. It is, by far, filled with the best people I have had the privilege to know, and has had a genuine and lasting impact on my ability to move my writing forward thanks to the support of everyone.”* *“The challenge was perfect for me this month. Rather than the big, unachievable goal I had of 'finish the book', I have achieved the challenge of writing 10,000 words of my book in a month. It's a digestible, achievable goal which helped me recommit to my writing rather than it just feel like a huge unachievable burden. And I could start enjoying it again. The workshops were great and I enjoyed the different styles. I especially like the quiet writing opportunities in community, which really helps me get things done and in the zone. It was a pleasure to meet so many fellow writers and I loved hearing other people's contributions and what they are passionate about. I learnt so much from the community and they have inspired me. This month has been important for me to slow down, reengage with my passions and cosy up in my writing blanket. I've really appreciated the challenge and space."* 

Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges

Join us as we discuss Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges over a pint (or several...)! New members are always welcome. **Description:** The most popular anthology of Jorge Luis Borges's short stories, Fictions is a wildly original and influential collection of fantastic tales. Jorge Luis Borges's Fictions introduced an entirely new voice into world literature. It is here that we find the astonishing accounts of 'Funes the Memorious', the man who can forget nothing; 'Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote', who recreates Miguel de Cervantes's epic word-for-word; a society run on the basis of an all-encompassing game of chance in 'The Lottery in Babylon'; the mysterious world of 'Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius' which seems to be supplanting our own ; and the 'Library of Babel', which contains every possible book in the whole universe. Here too are the philosophical detective stories and the haunting tales of Irish revolutionaries, gaucho knife fights and dreams within dreams which proved so influential (and yet impossible to imitate). This collection was eventually to bring Borges international fame; over fifty years later, it remains endlessly intriguing. Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A poet, critic and short story writer, he received numerous awards for his work including the 1961 International Publisher's Prize (shared with Samuel Beckett). He has a reasonable claim, along with Kafka and Joyce, to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. 'One of the most memorable artists of our age' Mario Vargas Llosa

Camden Writing Group - 2h in-person

A Sci Fi/Fantasy Feedback Session

Join us at Craft Beer Co. Brixton for our structured Sci-Fi & Fantasy Feedback Session. A supportive, focused space where writers can share their work and receive constructive, thoughtful critique. These sessions are designed not only to help authors refine their writing but also to strengthen our community. Giving feedback is as valuable as receiving it: by learning to critique effectively, we sharpen our own editorial instincts and deepen our understanding of craft. Whether you’re submitting work or attending as a reader, this is a collaborative, growth-focused environment. **FOR THOSE SUBMITTING WORK** **We select up to 4 submitted pieces for feedback each month. In order to submit please RSVP and send your submission to** **scififantasyauthors@gmail.com no later than the Friday prior to the session** to give organisers time to review submissions and arrange critique groups in advance. *Priority for submission slots is given to those who have attended a previous session.* To ensure quality and fairness, submission guidelines are as follows: * **A short introduction (2–3 paragraphs max.) explaining:** * The context and status of the piece (early draft? polished?) * What kind of feedback you’re looking for * **A novel chapter or short story of up to 4,000 words** * Strict word-count cut-off * Novel chapters do not necessarily need be the first chapter - just whatever you feel like would be most informative to receive critique! **FOR THOSE PROVIDING FEEDBACK** * Please RSVP and read the “How to Give Feedback” document that will be shared prior to attending. * You will be split into small groups and assigned one of the submitted pieces to provide feedback on. * Make sure to bring a device suitable for reading. A QR code to gain access to the pieces selected for feedback will be provided on the day. * There is no expectation to read anything in advance. All reading takes place during the session itself. We begin with dedicated silent reading time, ensuring that everyone engages with the piece equally and no one feels pressure to prepare outside the session. Just show up ready to read, think, and contribute. **SCHEDULE** Attendees will be placed into small critique groups of 4-5 people, each with an experienced facilitator to guide discussion and manage time. **6:30–6:45pm** – Arrival, drinks & group seating **6:45–7:30pm** – Silent reading & note-taking **7:30–8:00pm** – Structured feedback delivery **8:00–8:30pm** – Open roundtable discussion & author questions Each participant will have up to 5 minutes to share feedback during the structured critique section. Authors listen without interruption, with space for clarifying questions later in the roundtable. Whether you’re looking to polish a chapter, test an opening, or strengthen your editorial instincts, these sessions are an opportunity to grow together. RSVP early, as places are limited to ensure productive group sizes. If you can no longer attend, please update your RSVP.